SADC must work together to realise regional integration: Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member countries to work together for regional integration. Ramaphosa emphasized the need for the SADC region to lead its own industrial revolution and create a robust regional market. He made this appeal during a public lecture at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville campus, prior to the 46th SADC Ordinary Summit in Durban.

Ramaphosa stressed the importance of removing trade barriers within the 16-country bloc and transforming the region's trade architecture. He urged Southern Africa to utilize its own resources to drive industrialization, focusing on the local processing of key minerals and agricultural products. The President also highlighted the region's past, noting that in 1980, leaders from nine independent Southern African states convened in Lusaka to create the Southern African Development Coordination Conference, the precursor to SADC, with the primary goal of reducing economic dependence on apartheid South Africa.

Ramaphosa expressed gratitude that the freedom enjoyed today was largely due to the efforts of SADC. He cautioned against preaching integration in summits while practicing exclusion in the streets and pointed out the need for a coordinated regional response to recent challenges, including undocumented immigration. KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli echoed Ramaphosa's call for unity, advocating for student exchange programs to promote regional unity.

Meanwhile, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola, who chairs the SADC Council of Ministers, stressed that regional plans must ultimately benefit citizens, with the aim of making the SADC Vision 2050 a reality through action, resulting in a peaceful and prosperous region.